Grinding and polishing machine.



N. J. DOWNEY & S. KUMKUMIAN.

GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.18, 1913.

1,091,489. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

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N. J. DOWNEY & S. KUMKUMIAN. GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001118, 1913.

1,09 1,489. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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N. J. DOWNEY & S. KUMKUMIAN. GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE. APPLIOATION TILED 00118, 1913.

1,091,489. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

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N. J. DOWNEY & SQKUMKUMIAN. GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1913. 1,091,489. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

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TTE STTE ATENT FFQE.

NICHOLAS J. DOIVNEY, OF WALLINGFORD, AND SIMON KUMKUMIAN, OF MERIIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

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Application filed October 18, 1918.

To all about 2'2? may concern:

Be it known that we, NICHOLAS J. Downer, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nallingford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, and SI- MON KUMKUMIAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grinding and Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in grinding and polishing machines, and the object of our improvement is to produce a machine that will automatically grind and polish solid handles for cutlery and similar articles and that will do this in a manner that is substantially similar to the manner that these operations are successfully performed by hand.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved g nding and polishing machine, the grinding wheel being in part broken out. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper part of the same. Fig. is a side elevation of the right end of the same. Fig. iis a side elevation of the left end of the same. Fig. is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line at a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 6 in a different position. Fig. 8, Sheet 3, is an enlarged view of certain parts shown in Fig. i Fig. 9 is a plan view of the flexible shaft member. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the same. File. 11 is a similar view of the same with the holder open.

Our grinding and polishing machine comprises a grinding wheel 17 of well known form of large diameter mounted on a shaft 6 and independently driven and provided on the periphery with a layer of leather, coated with abrasive material, and mecha nism adjacent tle same for applying the knife handle 15 to the said periphery so as to effect the desired grinding or polishing thereof. The said mechanism comprises a work shaft 10 at the front mounted in bearings 11 and provided with a holder 12 for receiving and holding the blade 13 of the knife 1 so that the handle 15 thereof will be positioned over the periphery 16 of the grinding wheel 17. The said periphery 15 is of the same width as the length of the handle 15 to be ground or polished, A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Serial No. 795,878.

pulley l8 driven by a belt 19 and mounted on the shaft 10 rotates the knife 1 1- during the grinding operation. A pad 20 of wood bears on the upper side of the knife handle 15 and presses the same against the wheel 17.

The shaft 10 is a composite structure and comprises a tubular body portion 21 housed in the bearings 11 and on which the pulley 18 is mounted and in the hollow interior of which is positioned a plug 22 secured by a set screw 23. A flexible shaft 25 connects the inner end of the plug 22 with the knife blade holder 12.

As is well understood the knife handle 15 is approximately oval, being flat on the sides and having rounded edges. It is also under stood that the grinding surface of the wheel 17 is somewhat crowned and that the leather allows some give to the surface under pressure. Ive find it desirable accordingly to provide a cooperating support for the flexible shaft 24 particularly at the time when the flat side of the knife handle 15 is in contact with the grinding surface. This is effected by a block 25 that is intermittently brought up into contact with the lower side of the said shaft 24. This block is supported by the arm 26 pivotally supported at 27. The rear end of the arm 26 is engaged with a strut 28 supported by the rocking arm 29 one end of which is engaged with the main rocking arm 30 and which latter carries the pad 20.

The bearings 11 are suitably spread apart and are supported in a swinging frame 31 which is adjustably supported in some suitable manner as by centers 32 and adjusting screws A support B-l is provided that engages with the under side of the knife l t adjacent the bolster or at the rim .%O to support the handle end thereof when the main arm 30 is tilted upwardly and away from the grind ing position and which is dropped away from the same when the said main arm is in the. grinding position, The said support 3st in the form of an arm supported from the block pivotally mounted on the pin 36. A second arm 37 extends from the block to the under side of the main arm 30 and is engaged therewith.

The main arm 30 is pivotally supported on the pin 38. The pad 20 is attached to the forward end thereof and the arm 37 is l engaged with a part of the rear portion. As the main arm 30 is tilted forward to the grinding position the rear portion is raised and when tilted back to the non-grinding position the rear end is dropped and the support 34 is lowered and raised accordingly. Accordingly, the main arm 80 which carries the pad 20 is provided with means for being tilted back and forth for the purpose of being set to the grinding and nongrinding positions, and involving a complete shift normally every time a knife is finished and a new one inserted, and furthermore, is provided with means for being tilted to an extent corresponding to the difference between the thickness or thinness of the knife handle 15 between the relatively flat faces and the distance across between the rounded edges, or the difference between the minor and the major axis of the oval cross-section. When the major axis is opposed to the grinding wheel, being held in contact therewith by the pad 20 during the grinding, the knife is sufliciently supported 'without the flexible shaft support 25 being required, and the same is dropped away from the flexible shaft 24. When the minor axis is opposed to the grinding wheel the knife would not be sufficiently supported and in this position the flexible shaft support 25 is raised to the supporting position. The pad-20 is of less width than the length of the handle 15 and the same is moved along the same, from the inner end, adjacent the bolster outwardly and as the same is progressed the knife is turned by the flexible shaft and the flexible shaft support is intermittently raised and lowered as described.

During the grinding process the handle end of the knife is supported by the grinding wheel in cotiperation with the pad 20. When the main arm 30 is tilted away from the grinding position the rim support 34 is raised to the supporting aosition and serves to support the said hand e end and in a position slightly above the grinding wheel and clear of the same.

The pad 20 is secured to a lug 41 extending forwardly from the main arm 30 adjacent the pivotal support 38 by means of a screw 42, which latter passes through slots 43 and 44 in the said extension and pad respectively and permits of adjustment of the pad. The pad 20 comprises a body portion 45 which is secured to the said extension 41 in the manner described and a pad proper 46 slidably and resiliently connected therewith. As shown a pair of guide blocks 4'7 secured to the body portion 45 by the screws 48 extend downwardly therefrom, suitably spread apart to receive between them the pad proper 46 and have on their inner faces ways 49 that engage with corresponding ways on the outer faces of the pad proper 46, which latter ways 50 overhang the ways 49 generally. The overhanging portion of the way 50 on one face is cut away as shown at 51 and a pin 52 in the block 47 and positioned in the cut-away portion or slot 51 limits the upward and downward movement of the pad proper 46. The pad proper 46 is positioned so that there is some free open space between the upper edge thereof and the lower edge of the body portion 45 opposed thereto. Coil springs 53 having their ends housed in pockets or seats 54 in the said opposed faces of the body portion 45 and pad proper or block 46 tend to force the pad proper or block 46 downwardly, the extent of the movement being limited by the pin 52 engaged with the slot 51.

The lower face of the pad proper or block 46 is provided with a slot or groove 55 which conforms in size and shape to the cross-section of the handle 15 and which is engaged therewith during the grinding process and serves as the pressure surface for pressing the handle to the grinding wheel. On the lateral faces of the block 46 and adjacent the groove 55 there is auxiliary guide mechanism for engaging with the handle 15 at the ends of the groove 55 and which comprises in each case a pair of scissors-like members 56 pivotally supported by the middle on a pin 57 just above the groove 55. The members 56 have jaws 59 at the lower ends, suitable for engaging with the handle 15 and at the upper ends are cross-connected by a spring 58 which tends to bring the said members 56 to the closed position and thereby holds the jaws 59 engaged with the handle 15. The auxiliary guiding mechanism described serves to steady the knife handle during the grinding process.

The holder 12 is preferably a spring holder, having jaws 6O suitable for receiving the knife blade 13 and having a pair of jaw handles 61 which are so connected to the jaws 60 that the blade 13 will be released by pressing them together. The jaws 60 are the arms of a U shaped spring of flat material and the apex 62 thereof is brazed to the end of the flexible shaft 24.

The holder 12 described permits of readily inserting and removing a knife and operates to turn the knife as the flexible shaft is turned.

The mechanism other than the grinding wheel is supported in a frame 64. In the upper part of the frame 64 there is suitably supported a set of shafts comprising a fixed shaft 65 at the middle, a main shaft 66 at the rear, and a countershaft 67 at the front. Below the main shaft 66 is a cam-shaft 68. Above the space between the fixed shaft 65 and the co-untershaft 6? there is a relatively small form shaft 69 which carries a form 70.

The form 70 is the counter-part of the knife handle to be operated upon, and is preferably made of about double the dimensions of the cross-section and of a length approximately the same as that of the handle.

A bridge-like carriage 71 spans the space between the fixed shaft and the countershaft 07 and is slidably mounted on the said shafts by means of bearings 72. A fork extension 73 of the carriage '71 extending forwardly from the front end thereof supports the pivotal pin 38 on which is mounted the main arm 30. An upward extension 7% of the carriage T1 and adjacent the rear thereof supports a pivotal pin 75 on which is pivotally mounted a weight arm 76. The said weight arm T6 is approximately in line with the main arm 30 and is operatively connected with the same in a manner to be described and cooperates with the form 70. The rear arm of the lever constituting the weight arm 76 supports a weight 77 and the front arm thereof extends below the form '70 and is provided with a contact plate T8, the upper edge of which is held in contact with the form TO by the pressure due to the weight 77. orward of the contact plate 78 there is a pivotal pin 79 on which is mounted by its lower end a key 80.

The key 80 extends from the weight arm 76 upwardly across the lateral face of the rear prrtion S t of the main arm 30. The latter extends upwardly and rearwardly from its pivotal support 38 suitably to extend over the forward arm of the weight arm 76 and is provided on the lateral face with a stop pin 81 adjacent the key 80, and at the rear side thereof. A spring 82 holds the key 80 engaged with the stop pin 81. The upper end of the key 80 is cut away at the ear so as to provide a shoulder 83 on which the stop pin 81 is seated during the grinding process, thereby holding the rear portion of the main arm 30 in an elevated position and the forward portion carrying the pad 20 in the lower position, the said rear portion 84 being heavier than the forward portion and overbalancing the same.

Means are provided to be described for throwing the stop pin 81 out of engagement with the shoulder 83 and thereby Jermitting the main arm 30 to tilt to the nongrinding position. The carriage 71 is provided at about the middle with a slot 83 in which is positioned and engaged therewith a roller pin 86. carried by the forward end of a swinging arm 8?. At the rear end of the arm 8? there is a second roller pin 88 that engages with the side face of the main cam 89 which latter is mounted on the cam shaft GS. The arm 87 is pivotally supported at about the mid die of its length on the pin 90. A spring 92 holds the pin 88 engaged with the cam As described the movement of the carriage 71 is responsive to the movement of the horizontally swinging arm 87 and the movement of the latter is controlled by the engagement of the roller pin 88 with the cam surface of the cam 89, and the formation of the cam is such that a complete revolution thereof will effect a movement of the carriage corresponding to the length of the knife handle 15 and a return movement thereof. During the movement of the carriage from right to left, corresponding to the grinding, the shoulder 83 of the key 80 is engaged with the stop pin 81, holding the main arm 30 in the grinding position. As the grinding operation is in progress the carriage 71 and connected parts are moved from right to left and at the same time the knife is rotated, and therefore the relation of the cross-section of the knife handle is being changed relatively to the pad and grinding wheel. At the same time and in synchronism therewith the pad and main arm are tilted rela tively to the grinding wheel. Accordingly the main arm has a combination or complex movement consisting of a to and fro tilting or rccking movement and a lateral movement from right to left. .Ve utilize this movement for effecting a stopping of the grinding, which is effected by lifting the pad 20 at the desired extent of lateral movement to the left by providing a key stop 93 at the left side of the frame that engages with the extreme upper end 9a of the key 80 and throws the same out of engagement with the stop pin 81. Immediately after the movement described is effected the cam operates to return the carriage and parts supported thereby back to the right to the initial position. During this return movement the main arm 30 is maintained tilted to the non-grinding position, in which position the rear end S thereof is dropped to its lowermost position. In this lowermost position the said rear end S t is in registration with the contact end 95 of a clutch operating lever 90 and engages therewith to effect the opening of a clutch 97. The latter is a built up structure, permitting of certain adjustments, and consists essentially of a lever piv-- oted atabout the middle on a pin 98, having the contact end 95 at the forward end and a fork 99 at the rear end. The latter engages with the clutch 97 by means of a groove therein in an ordinary manner.

The clutch 97 connects the main shaft 66 with the main driving pulley 100 and is normally kept in closed position by the clutch spring 101.

A pair of pulleys 102 and a belt 103 interconnect the main shaft 66 and the countershaft 67. A wheel or pulley 10-3t on the countershaft 67 receives the belt 19 and drives the pulley 18. A pair of pulleys 105 and a belt 106 interconnect the countershaft GT and the form shaft 69. The cam 89 is mounted on the middle portion of the cam shaft 68 and at the left end of the said shaft there is a ratchet wheel 107 by which the same is driven. A pawl 108 eccentrically mounted on the left end of the main shaft 66 engages with the said ratchet wheel 107.

The cam 89 is so formed that relatively slow progressive movement of the main arm 30 is effected during the grinding process, which movement is from right to left, the said cam being rotated at a relatively mod erate rate, and as the rotation thereof is continued, there is a period of rest as regards the lateral movement at the close of the grinding process and with the main arm 30 at the extreme left position. Then there is a quick return movement of the carriage and main arm 30, at which position there is another period of rest, and while in this latter position the clutch mechanism is operated to disconnect the grinding and the corresponding feeding mechanism. from the main driving pulley.

As described, our grinding and polishing machine after being set to the rinding position will operate to grind the handle of the knife automatically, and after the grinding thereof has been eflected, the grinding operation is interrupted. Furthermore, the grinding is eifected by a lateral movement of certain parts relatively to the knife handle, and that after the desired movement has been effected in the one direction the said parts are returned to the initial position, after which the further movement of the said parts is automatically interrupted until again started by the operator, and which latter will of course occur after finished work has been removed and another unfinished piece has been inserted.

Among other special features may be noted the following :The grinding operation is essentially similar to the present day hand method; the grinding wheel is in a fixed position and uninterruptedly in revolution; the work is suspended adjacent the periphery of the grinding wheel in an essentially floating condition and by means that yield to the grinding pressure; supporting means are provided that are responsive directly to special oval form of cross-section of the knife handle; also, the pressure device is also responsive indirectly to the form of cross-section, through the medium of a form so that the eflective pressure on the knife handle is essentially uniform notwithstanding the changes in the portions thereof that are in contact with the grinding surface; and the pressure is applied through the medium of a pad that bears directly on the knife handle and presses the same against the periphery of the grinding wheel.

\V e claim as our invention 1. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, supporting means for supporting one end of the work, means for.

turning the said supporting means, and means independent of the said supporting means for pressing the other end of the work against the said wheel.

2. A grinding machine for knife handles comprising a grinding wheel, supporting means for supporting the blade end of a knife, means for turning the said supporting means, and means independent of the said supporting means for pressing the handle end of the said knife against the said wheel, and the said supporting means comprising as one part a resiliently yielding member.

3. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, means for holding the work adjacent thereto, and means for pressing the Work against the periphery thereof, and the said first means comprising a flexible shaft having a work holder at one end and one end of the said shaft being fixed relatively to the said grinding wheel.

4. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a flexible shaft operative to support one end of the work and to impart rotary motion to the work, means for pressing the other end of the work against the said wheel comprising a main arm having a tilting movement, means cooperative with the said arm and operative in certain positions thereof to engage with the said flexible shaft adjacent the end thereof.

5. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a flexible shaft connected to one end of the work and operative to impart rotary movement thereto and operative to support the said one end of the work generally, means for providing an auxiliary support for the said end of the work in certain positions of the said rotary movement thereof.

6. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, means for supporting the blade end of a knife, a main arm having means for being tilted to and from the grinding position, reciprocating means engaged by the said arm and operative when the same is tilted to the non-grinding position to support the handle end of the said 7 knife.

7. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a pad having a groove suitable for receiving a knife handle, means for holding the said pad adjacent the said wheel, and means for moving the said pad longitudinally relatively to the said wheel.

8. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a pad having a groove adjacent the said wheel, auxiliary guide mechanism on the lateral faces of the said pad and comprising in each case a pair of pivotally connected members having jaws at one end and spring means tending to close the said jaws.

9. A grinding machine comprising in combination a grinding wheel, a main arm having a pad, means for tilting the said arm acl: and forth to the grinding and to the non-grinding positions, means for moving the said arm relatively to the said wheel in one direction when in the grinding position and in acontrary direction when in the non grinding position and means for holding the work in generally fixed relation to the said grinding wheel.

10. A grinding machine comprising a grinding wheel, a main arm having a tilting movement relatively thereto, auxiliary supporting means for supporting some part of the work, and the said supporting means operative to be brought to and from sup porting position responsive to such tilting movements of the said main arm.

11. A grinding machine comprising a main arm, means for setting the said arm to the grinding and to the non-grinding positions, means for moving the said arm laterally in one direction and the reverse, means engaged with the said arm when in the non-grinding position operative to prevent such lateral movement of the said arm when the latter is at the initial position of the grinding movement, and means operative at the end of the grinding movement for moving the said arm from the grinding to the nongrinding position.

12. A grinding machine comprising a main arm, a carriage pivo-tally supporting the said arm and itself slidably supported, a cam rotatively mounted, a swinging arm connecting the said cam and carriage, and means on the said carriage for setting the said main arm to and from the grinding position.

13. A grinding machine comprising a main arm, acarriage pivotally supporting the same, and itself slidably mounted, a Weight arm also pivotally mounted on the said carriage, a form rotatively mounted and controlling the position thereof relatively to the said carriage, and a key con necting the said mainarm and weight arm.

14. A grinding machine comprising a main arm and a weight arm and a carriage supporting the said arms, and means for is loosely mounted, a clutch connecting the said pulley and shaft, a spring tending to maintain the said clutch in the closed position, a main arm having a tilting movement, means for moving the said arm to and fro laterally, means for opening the said clutch comprising a tripping arm, and the said tripping arm being positioned suitably to be engaged by the said main arm when tilted to one position and at the end of the lateral movement thereof in one direction. 7O

16. A grinding machine suitable for grinding knife handles having an oval crosssection comprising a grinding wheel, a main arm having a pad, pivotally mounted, and

having means for being moved laterally,

means for rotating the said knife while the said handle is positioned between the said pad and wheel, and means for tilting the said main arm approximately in synchronism with the change in relation of the said cross-section thereof to the said pad and wheel as the said knlfe is rotated.

NICHOLAS J. DOWN EY. SIMON KUMKUMIAN.

\Vitnesses WILLIAM J. HOGAN, BENNETT M. GAINES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

riage and arms, and means for tripping the 55 

